Question 1

How do I become an established patient?

Accepted Answer

Go to the New Patient section of this website to complete the New Patient Request form. After completing this form, you can expect a phone call regarding availability within 48 hours.

Question 2

Do you take insurance?

Accepted Answer

No, Animas Psychiatry is considered out of network. I am not contracted with any insurance providers at this location. After your appointment, you will receive a superbill which can be used to request reimbursement with some insurance companies.
 
The advantage of private pay is that your treatment plans will be determined by you and your doctor rather than your insurance provider. No authorizations are necessary to start treatment and no private medical records are shared with insurance companies unless you request this by submitting a superbill.

Question 3

What payments do you accept?

Accepted Answer

Check or credit cards. Payment is expected on the day of the appointment.

Question 4

Do you accept Medicaid or Medicare?

Accepted Answer

No. I am unable to see any patients with Medicaid or Medicare at this location.

Question 5

What CPT billing codes are usually used?

Accepted Answer

I cannot guarentee that the below will always be accurate. However, these are my most common billing codes; this information may be useful if you choose to discuss out of network reimbursement with your insurance company.
 
New patient evaluations are usually billed under 90792.
Medication management appointments are 99213 or 99214, sometimes with the addition of 90833.

Question 6

How often will I need to be seen for appointments?

Accepted Answer

After the initial consult appointment, most people are seen for a medication management follow-up in 3-4 weeks, particularly if medications have been changed. Once you are doing well and have a consistent treatment plan in place, follow-up appointment frequency usually decreases to once every 3 months.

Question 7

Do you do FMLA, disability paperwork, or write letters for emotional support animals?

Accepted Answer

FMLA is reserved to facilitate ongoing treatment. For example, if you are entering an intensive outpatient program and need time off to attend this program, I will complete FMLA paperwork. If you are a parent of a child and need time off work to facilitate their treatment, FMLA will be offered.
 
Disability paperwork will not be completed unless you have already been an established patient for at least 4 months and will only be completed at physician discretion.
 
I do not usually write letters for emotional support animals. While animals can be a great support, there are no current guidelines for ESAs, and I am not qualified to evaluate the appropriateness of your chosen animal.

Question 8

What is the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist?

Accepted Answer

In short, psychiatrists are medical doctors (MD or DO), where as psychologists have a masters or doctoral degree (MS, PsyD, or PhD). While both are involved in mental heath treatment, psychiatrists have medical and psychopharmacological training in addition to therapy training. Psychologists tend to have more extensive therapy training but are not trained in medicine, pharmacology, and medical illnesses which can underly psychiatric diagnoses.
 
Psychiatrists attend the same medical school that all other physicians attend including primary care doctors, neurologists, and surgeons. After 4 years of medical school, psychiatrists enter a residency which lasts an additional 4 years. During residency they work 10,000-15,000 hours as a physician while under the supervision of an attending physician. Only after successful completion of an accredited residency program, may a psychiatrist take an exam to become "board-certified". Some psychiatrists then choose to complete a fellowship which is an additional 1-2 years of supervised training & another board exam to specialize in areas such as child & adolescent psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, or forensic psychiatry.
 
Many patients benefit from seeing both a psychiatrist and a psychologist due to the different roles they serve within mental health treatment.

Question 9

How is your care different than that from a nurse practitioner? Is it worth the money?

Accepted Answer

Psychiatrists are medial doctors who have completed medical school and have greater than 10,000 hours of supervised direct patient care during residency and fellowship. Psychiatrists also have training in neurology, primary care, and internal medicine, which allows them to facilitate the most thorough patient care for you.
 
Nurse practitioners are nurses who have elected to do additional training, usually 500-1500 hours of shadowing. NPs can complete evaluations and write prescriptions but have less expertise in the field of medicine and significantly less breadth of training.

Question 10

Do you just prescribe medications? Do you do therapy as well?

Accepted Answer

I primarily focus on psychopharmacology. However, follow-up appointments are 25 minutes which allows for some brief therapeutic interventions and discussion of your life events which are contributing to your symptoms so that we can feel confident your treatment plan serves your needs.
 
For established patients needing short term therapy, I do have some availability for 45-50 minute therapy sessions. However, due to limited availability, patients needing ongoing or longer term therapy are usually referred to another health care professional such as an LCSW or PhD therapist. I am always happy to coordinate with your therapist as needed.

Question 11

Is telemedicine offered?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Telemedicine is offered for all patients. Due to medical licensing requirements, you must be located in a state where Dr. Richards holds a medical license which includes Colorado and Texas. If you are traveling or relocating to another state, please check with Dr. Richards directly to determine if she can continue your care.

Question 12

What about phone calls after-hours?

Accepted Answer

Non-urgent phone calls will be addressed between 9a-6p M-F. There are no emergency services available at Animas Psychiatry.  If you have an urgent matter which is not an emergency, call the main clinic number and leave a voicemail regarding your issue. We will make out best effort to return your call within an hour. Please note that phone lines are not monitored overnight. All after hours phone contact is charged at a rate of $55 for up to 15 minutes.

Question 13

What do I do in an emergency situation?

Accepted Answer

If you are encountering an emergency such as suicidal ideation, violence, life threatening side effects, or a recent suicide attempt, please seek emergency care immediately. You can call 911 or go to any emergency room.
 
Local crisis line: 512-472-HELP (4357)
National suicide prevention lifeline: 800-273-8255
Crisis Text Line: Text HELLO to 741741

Question 14

How do I obtain a copy of my medical records?

Accepted Answer

I do not share the entirely of your medical documentation to the portal by default to protect the privacy of my minor patients who often share sensitive but not dangerous information with me.

However, this is not intended to be a barrier to obtaining your or your child's records. Please reach out to Dr. Richards via phone or portal message with your request. Records can be shared via the portal as a PDF or faxed to any of your care providers with a ROI.

There is no charge for medical records.

Question 15

What if I have a complaint with my care?

Accepted Answer

We would appreciate it if you let us know first, so that we can address any problems promptly. If you feel that is insufficient or that our resolution is not satisfactory, you have the right to file a complaint with the below entities.

Texas Medical Board Complaint Hotline: (800) 201-9353
Colorado Medical Board Complaint Online Form 
HHS Online Form for discrimination and HIPAA violations

Frequently asked questions